Meatless Monday: Kale, sweet potato, farro and pomegranate salad

This is one of those great salads where a dressing really isn’t necessary — the ingredients are flavorful and moist enough on their own. And those colors… holy cow. It almost seems unfair that this is so healthy, because it feels like it should be a diet splurge.

Combine the farro and 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer until grains are almost tender, about 15-20 minutes. Season with salt, stir and simmer until the grains are tender, about another 5-10 minutes. Drain and let cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the onion on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Place the sweet potato on a different baking sheet and toss with oil, cumin, coriander and salt. Place both sheets in the oven and roast until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, stirring halfway through. The onions may finish first, so keep an eye on both.

Before the vegetables finish roasting, place the walnuts on a small baking dish and toast until darkened in color and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Careful! Walnuts can burn quickly. Once the nuts cool, roughly chop into small pieces.

Heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the kale and garlic, sauteing until the kale has wilted and is bright green. Transfer the greens and garlic to a bowl, along with the farro. Add the roasted sweet potato and onion, folding together lightly. Drizzling with a little olive oil and lemon juice to moisten the salad. Taste and season with salt and pepper.